All Discussion PAGE 737

Additional statement. I thought it prudent to mention lyrics that say that God is not angry with you (despite His being "angry with the wicked every day"); God being only love and "accepting you as you are" is at best imbalanced. God through Christ is able to accept us into the beloved but I believe theologically it is accurate to say that He grants repentance. No matter how Predestination is viewed repentance MUST be a part of salvation. I would say that there needs to be a deliberate turning from sin once the conviction of sin is found; that is our responsibility as a response of the Spirit working in our hearts. During sanctification there must CONTINUE to be repentance of sin. This once again defines the true saint; God chastises every one He loves. It is the LIFESTYLE of sin which must change; we all have struggles with sin as believers. Again; to be a true Christian we desire the Holiness of God and hence to live it out ourselves; and we are crucified with Christ; just delayed in the full fruition of it with our old bodies and desires. That is the issue for the unregenerate; they often follow Christ as though He is a "good teacher"; and His moral behaviors externally for social favor; status or their own pride.

Those in darkness hate the light; we all start off fearful of God and enemies of Him as well. Thos who truly know Christ now will fall on the "Rock" and those who don't will be crushed by it someday; much like the analogy of all the Kingdoms being crushed once Christ returns in Daniel (again; sorry not to have the cross references at present).

The sign of the times; of course is that so many deny basic doctrinal tenets; and in particular a literal hell. There are warnings for those who feel comfortable because God doesn't exact punishment speedily (this is due to His desiring no one to perish). In any case; whatever our doctrinal stance is on Predestination or free will (or both); God is just and a set number saved or damned.

This is a verse less commonly known relating to Predestination. There are verses in the N.T. on different "vessels" to fulfill God's purposes; at any rate God recieves the glory no matter what (my computer data is compromised so I am not as readily able to give these cross references). This comment brings to mind the concept of "irresistible grace". I prefer the term "effectual calling". We have the verses such as Thessalonians (again you can look up the reference) of those who don't LOVE the truth and believe "the Lie" which essentially means worship of Antichrist and rejection of Christ after the Rapture. There are very few who outwardly blaspheme the Holy Spirit such as the Pharisees who accused Christ of doing things in the power of "Beelzebub" or basically the Devil. This certainly demonstrates that they were aware there is a spirit in Christ; and none of the healings were ever criticized as to their veracity. The case of Spurgeon wo basically stated that we should bend over backwards to keep people from glibly going to their destruction in hell; or Whitfield that despite believing in Election would pray weeping for hours before preaching show that despite such knowledge of the fate of the wicked we should certainly preach fervantly (if anything not knowing who eventually will heed the call). We also need to remember that even with Judas Iscariot who was prophesied and known to Christ despite his selection for him to be a Disciple to be the "son of perdition"; Jesus dipped the sop before the betrayal; signifying that indeed he was betrayed by his friend.

The bigger concern is those who appear to be sheep but are in reality goats. You shall "know them by their fruits" and those who are not His sheep don't seem to struggle with sin; and/or their true desires are clearly with the world. (A "form of godliness but denying the power thereof-we are told to AVOID such people). Cristian media and megachurches like to deny the wrath side of God.

In Jesus name, pray for a born again man called Christopher.

To be delivered of whatever is troubling him. To the glory of God.

Alleluia. Amen.

According to (it's) kind is the correct read . groups of living organisms belong in the same created kind if they have descended from the same ancestral gene pool . grass seed will yield grass , fruit seed will yield fruit ... This does not preclude new species because this represents a partitioning of the original gene pool . Information is lost or conserved not gained . A new species could arrive when a population is isolated and inbreeding occurs . By this definition a new species is not a new kind but a further partitioning of an existing kind . Strong's Hebrew

After reading this , go back to the chapter and read verse 11 - to the end , I think it will provide a bit more clarity , it did for me , thanks .

Dear Sergio, I am so sorry that your wife is feeling this way. It is out of God's will for her to be doing what she is doing to you and the family. I will pray for you and your family today.

Dear Heavenly Father, we come to You in the name of Jesus and by His precious blood. We ask that You bring love into the heart of Sergio's wife and that this love will be from You without doubt. We ask that You restore this marriage and reunite this family once again. Father, bring healing to the hearts that are broken in this family. Protect the children from this disharmony and unloving actions of Sergio's wife. Bring her to repentance and turn her heart around to reunite with Sergio. Impress her to lean on You to create the love for Sergio that is needed here. We ask these things of You, Father, in the name of Jesus, who has won for us salvation and newness of life. Thank You, Father. Amen.

Dear David, I will continue to pray of Addie. I ask the Lord to continue to heal her today. I will pray for Adam.

Dear Heavenly Father, we come to ask You to bring Adam to a new job quickly. We ask that You will provide for this family in the interim until Adam is employed once again. We ask that you help this family during this time of distress and need. Father, we know that You are good and will give good things to those who ask in the name of Jesus. So ask these things in Jesus' name, Amne.

Jennifer, I hope you are doing well today at work. I am praying for you.

Thank you Chris.

I agree that when we come to salvation, it is all of God. I guess my question was more of how we grow in our faith once regenerated. For as new believers, we know but a little, but as we grow in faith we come to know more fully and deeply our Lord and what it means to be a new creation in Christ. Without a growing faith, we would not mature. But I believe that God does want us to use what He has given us to become the person He has made us to be. And this cannot happen without being reborn by the Holy Spirit and indwelt by Him and indued by Him to apprehend spiritual truths by faith.

Jesse

Thank you for this informative answer. I agree that we cannot believe without the work of the Holy Spirit. it is He who enlightens our minds to apprehend the truth of the Gospel, to desire salvation from our sins in Jesus, to know that God indeed exists, and to mature in our knowledge of Him.

When we are born again by the Holy Spirit, our intellect is redeemed along with the rest of who we are. He guides our minds, guards our reasoning and logic, and gives us understanding of spiritual truths found in the Bible concerning God, Jesus' Person and work on our behalf, and the who we have become in Christ. The Holy Spirit does the persuading, enables us to trust in God for salvation and life, and trains us up in spiritual faith.

Yes, Jehovah is His sacred name - YHWH

Acts 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

Matthew 13:36-43

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

It does seem "pre-destination" has a good case. That being said, there was a time when I was an unbeliever/did not know the truth. It is my belief that those who belong to God will be given the revelation of the truth, that Jesus Christ is The Son of God, no matter what at some point in their lives. Whether that revelation be given at the midpoint of someones life, or on their deathbed as the thief on the cross.

GiGi,

My understanding of faith comes from taking the literal definition of the word faith from the original language. The word faith in the Bible means persuasion. Every time I see the word faith, the word persuasion comes to mind.

I also have to understand that there are two types of faith, human faith that everyone has, both believer and non-believer, and then there's the faith the Bible speaks of which is spiritual faith.

With that in mind, I ask myself, do I have spiritual faith? Is spiritual faith something that I in my own human effort can produce?

Again, everyone has human faith. But is it human faith that persuades me to believe, or is it God's Spirit in me that persuades me to believe?

From a scriptural standpoint, when I read that faith is a fruit of God's Spirit, that tells me that the faith the Bible speaks of (Spiritual faith) is not something I have the ability or capacity to produce, but rather, the faith I have is from Christ's Spirit that lives in me. He is the one who persuades me to believe. That is the true definition of faith.

I believe and am fully persuaded (faith) because I have God's Spirit. Without His Spirit, how can any of us be fully persuaded in our minds that God exists, or that His word is true.

Do we trust in human logic, human reasoning, human faith, or do we trust in the faith that the Bible speaks of, the faith we can only have if it is given to us by receiving Christ and being born of His Spirit, the only true source of faith, Spiritual faith?

Am I to persuade myself to believe, or am I to submit to the persuasion of God's Spirit in me? Again, am I to trust in my human faith (which has failed me in the past), or submit myself to His persuasion which has never failed me, nor will it ever fail anyone who remains under His persuasion?

Than you so much for sending this out.

Blessings in Christ Jesus!

I believe that all the animals were tame before Adam and Eve sinned against the Lord.

In Genesis 1:25 it says God made the "beasts of the earth after his kind". I am unsure what this means?

I love this book

Do God have a name???

Please pray that I have energy strength protection favor do an excellent job it's not busy and I can go to the store a few times ijnip amen

Too many follow their own imagination, based on ill interpretations of the Bible. America is being prepared for her visitation, and no one will know why or where it comes from. America will fall while the sun was yet high in the sky, Jeremiah 15:7-9

please remember my family in your prayers , thank you for your prayers already , Addie is little better , but please keep her in your prayers and her mother and father Adam he just lost his job due to closure pray the Lord opens another door here for him

Me and my wife are born again Christians for many years now. We have two little kids. Two weeks ago she woke up and tells me she didn't love me anymore that she never loved me and asked me to leave the house. She changed the locks and keeps saying she doesn't love me anymore. We had a stressful year buikdingna house that I did with my own hands. Economically too. I ask to pray for us that God softens her heart and that we can be back to being a family. I don't want the kids to grow in separate homes. Thank you

I'm having a problem. The least bit of salt and the least bit of sugar give me feelings of madness in the brain.

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c. Not Works. In relation to Salvation's matter, Works opposes Faith. It can be seen as not only self-effort & self-determination, but of Faithlessness & opposition to God. If any attempt is made to supplement our efforts to gain or assist in our salvation by faith, our faith is nullified & we are still in our sins. Any act of works declares that God's Work to save us was insufficient or not wholly believable - salvation must be all of God or not at all.

In summary, in Ephesians 2:8,9 Paul tells us that the Gift of God towards us unworthy sinners, was His Grace & His Faith to believe & accept His Salvation. It could never be His Grace & our Faith, for we could never generate such a faith towards salvation - it had to be both from God, which ensures its reality in our hearts & confidence towards God.

So, if God has done all this for us, making the preciousness of our Savior's death & resurrection vital in our hearts, what can ever "separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord?" This is the Faith God requires. And He gives it to those earnestly seeking Him cowering under the weight of their sin.

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Hi GiGi. Another great & important question from you & btw, thank you, my wife & I had a very enjoyable vacation visiting some of the S. Pacific islands.

My attempt to answer your question, takes me first to its root. And the one Scripture that I believe identifies this is Ephesians 2:8,9.

"For by GRACE are ye saved through FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: Not of WORKS, lest any man should boast."

I see three things at work here:

a. God's Grace. If it wasn't for the Grace of God afforded us, nothing in relation to salvation could ever occur, indeed, could we even continue to exist on Earth without that Grace? As was previously discussed in your other thread (on Mercy & Grace), that only out of God's Holy Character of Love & Mercy for all, can such Love ever be experienced by sinful man. So, first we see that we need a Gracious God ever ready to pour out His Love & ever ready to Forgive (but on His Terms).

b. Of Faith. God knew that man could never generate such faith as to apprehend the glories of God, of Heaven, & of Eternity. Man can, & always had hope of something better than this life, but never knew of it with any certainty. Our fickle faith is limited to what we see & know in our worldview, but to ask us to believe in & apprehend something that is 'impossible to fathom', requires an extra Grace. God has to give us Faith as well as Grace, or else all talk of His Love & Salvation would circumvent our minds. And so Hebrews 11:1 gives us the meaning: this Faith from God to us must be of substance & evident in our hearts & not a wishful hope. If it weren't, then it isn't Faith - Faith brings into reality that which appears unreal.

Thanks 'Prosperity'. To answer your three questions:

a. Romans 9:3-5. Paul says what he did in this portion because he was speaking about his brethren by blood, i.e. Israel - not brethren by faith in Christ. Here in these chapters, Paul is relating what the Jews should have gained, if they had accepted Christ, but had lost their position because they wanted to hold to the Law & not come to Christ (which can only be by faith). So the Roman believers, & there could have been believing Jews amongst them as well, needed to hear this message that salvation has come to them because of the "fall" of the Jews & acceptance by God of Jew & Gentile through His Son.

b. Romans was written to believers in Rome ( Romans 1:6-8); the Corinthian Epistles to the Church/saints at Corinth ( 1 Corinthians 1:2); Ephesians to the saints in Ephesus ( Ephesians 1:1); and the Thessalonian Epistles to the Church in Thessalonica ( 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4). So, in the Churches there would have been the Jewish diaspora as well as Gentiles, and together Paul considered them as the Church, the beloved of God.

c. I see no problem with the content of Paul's letters to the largely Gentile Churches there. It's as if I preached in a Pakistani Church of what God was doing in Pakistan among Muslims, also about believers living the Spirit-filled life, & the need to share their faith, & also that my heart continued to be for the salvation of Muslims. Would I be wrong to share that so that the Church might be informed & encouraged to pray? So Paul was sharing with the Roman Church that one day all Israel will bend their knee to Jesus & be saved. Shouldn't the Gentiles rejoice in this wonderful time of salvation of the Jews, through whom the Lord Jesus came & ministered to? But if any today in the Church despise Israel, then maybe, yes, they could take umbrage to such news.

Thank you T. Levis.

Yes, our faith is to be shown forth in works that are done for the glory of God and the good of our neighbors.

My query was more of a focus on what is involved in saving faith without referring to the fruit-bearing works that flow from faith. Perhaps it would be better to speak of what is the "substance" of biblically acceptable faith.

We can speak more tomorrow on this. I am off to bed for the night.

God bless you T. Levis. Always love to hear from you.

Leviticus Chapter 7

This is a continuation of Chapter 6. These chapters speak of God's instructions concerning offerings and sacrifices. Particularly, the last part of ch. 6 and all of ch. 7 speak of what part of these offerings and sacrifices are reserved only for God and what parts are given to the Levites to eat as their portion for performing the priestly rites.

In this Chapter, the trespass offering, peace offering, and grain offering are addressed in this chapter, harkening back to the previous chapters that explained them.

God determined that the Israelites are not eat the fat portions of animals. The fat was to be brought to the priests to be offered to God. God deserves the best and richest of ourselves. The Israelites were forbidden to consume any blood. Blood is precious to God, it is the means by which sins are covered (by Jesus). We are to esteem His blood as holy. Life is in the blood, especially so in Jesus' blood. The Levites were provided for since their work was to serve in the LORD in these ordinances.

I imagine that the Israelites were very cognizant of the might and power of YHWH as well as knowing Him to be a very demanding God in light of the continual offering of animals and grain to Him day and night. Perhaps this intensive service to Him is a clear indication of our obligation to serve Him every day and always. There will never be a time when we will not serve God and give Him glory. It is our purpose. Sometimes we forget this and instead seek God for what we can get from Him. But we are to give Him our life and devotion without reservation nor without thinking or being acutely aware of His worth and majesty. Reverence is something we should cultivate. It leads us to commune with God more rightly. We can forget how awesome He is and how holy He is and that He has every right to demand and order our worship. Good to remember these things. May we worship and serve Him with a glad and willing heart always.

@Baker



If all of The Laws were nailed on the cross, why were The Apostles keeping The Pentecost/The Feast of Firstfruits ?

In addition, why did Peter say that he had never eaten anything that was unclean during the vision of the different beasts ? If The Laws were nailed on the cross, why were The Apostles still keeping The Commandments after Christ had ascended into Heaven ?

@Chris

Romans is written to The Romans. Why does Paul say that his brethren according to the flesh are Israelites, if The Gentiles that he is writing to are also not Israelites ?

Furthermore, all of The Epistles that Paul wrote were written to strangers that were scattered in those particular areas. For example, Rome, Ephesus, Thessalonicca, Corinth. Those were the same areas where The Israelites were scattered.

Acts 2:5 states that there were Jews out of every nation under heaven. Once again, why would Paul write to non Israelites and then say that all Israel shall be saved if The Epistle is directed towards the actual Gentiles (non Israelites) ?

James 2, James 1:26,27, Matthew 25:31-46, Philippians 2:1-16,

Thanks Steve. I think it boils down to on what (irrefutable) facts about God's Character & Purposes that we are convinced about & resting on. We can then have an opinion, even a belief, and it shouldn't be 'a one or the other' decision. Unfortunately, many areas of life, including politics, compels us to hold tenaciously to one or the other to gain acceptance with others.

With God, it should be irrefutable that He is Omniscient, Merciful, & desirous that all sinners be saved & joined to Him. Therefore, I don't believe that either Calvin or Arminius correctly embraced the full Character of God in this matter of Election. But that's just my understanding with the light that I have on it. May the Lord reveal much more to you brother and to each one of us, to the end that we might love & serve Him better.